Whistle Man (Comics)
Whistle Man is the childhood super hero creation of Derek W. Lipscomb, and a founding member of the team Poverty Pack. He was created in 1978 by Derek at the age of 4. Development When The idea for Poverty Pack was in it's infancy, Derek used the opportunity to feature his beloved childhood character. Having appeared in numerous unpublished stories since his creation, Whistle Man's origin was convoluted and unclear. Working to further develop him with Ted, several elements were hammered out. His alter ego, Maurice Masterstroke, was Ted's idea. Derek liked the double initial aspect and it's hilarious last name, which was better than other names he had for the character before. Derek then decided that Whistle Man's pre-civilian form would be heavily influenced by actor Vin Diesel. He thought it would be funny to read the character with his voice, and then turn around and have this high-pitch whistle sound accompany his words. One of the elements that was carried over from previous incarnations, was the fact that Whistle Man's alter-ego had a prior career in football coaching, linking the whistle-motiff to his past. His pre-hero personality was also retained; Maurice is a bit of a hard-ass on his team, and somewhat of a womanizer. For the character's final look, Derek decided to take it back to his original appearance. "When I created him, I distinctly remember being a fan of the color red at that age. Whistleman was clad in a red body-suit. I remember giving him a round noggin. His wierd eyes/mouth design were borrowed from a character my brother drew, and I liked that inhuman look." Also borrowed from his brother's character was Whistle Man's trademark "moon boots". "Those boots were popular with kids our age then, during the winter time. We all thought they were so cool, to look like an astronaut with our snow suits." Origins Maurice Masterstroke is a five-time championship winner for his college football team. The University recognized this and his salary was handsome, as was his other perks. Maurice was a man who felt untouchable, but in order to maintain his lifestyle, he had to make sure that his team would always win the championship. Not known to the campus faculty, Maurice was pressuring his players to win, win WIN. Long training sessions, usually ended with a collapsed or a wounded teamate. His tactics were verbally abusive, with threats to the player's tuition scholarships being cut or insults that attacked personal issues of the individual. On the field, he was known as "Coach Molotov" for his combustable attitude, or "Football Facist". But because of his iconic whistle that he used to exact his law, his best known nickname was the "Whistle" Finally, one evening, Maurice took it too far; during a practice session, his star-quaterback messed up a play. Maurice blew his whistle directly in his ear, causing eardrum damage. The University recieved word of this, and a scandal broke out. Maurice was ejected from his coaching position. Devastated, he pleaded for a chance to make right of the unfortunate incident, but was instead shunned. Embittered, Maurice's life took a downward spiral, and his once luxurious lifestyle hit rock-bottom. He sold his house, unable to afford his mortgage payments, and moved to the inner city. He began to nurse his woes with booze and hookers. One night, in a near drunken stupor, Maurice came home, with the need to continue drinking. Despite his already intoxicated state, he was able to tear up his studio flat looking for any un-empty bottle. The only one he could find, was a dusty beer bottle under his bed. Without much consideration, Maurice proceeded to pop the top... When Maurice woke the next morning, he felt like he had the hangover to end all hangovers. He also had a giant golden whistle for a head. Powers & Abilities Whistle Man's Main ability is drawn from his enormous whistle-for-a-head. In the way a normal person would hold their breath, Whistle Man draws in a gulp of air through the back end and forces it out through the blow-hole on top, creating an ear-piercing whistle-shriek. Over the course of time, he has mastered the frequency in which to use it appropriately. On small concentrated bursts, he can release a stunning "Referee blast" that causes the average persons' muscles to tense to an almost temporary paralysis. Soft, steady streams, can be sensitive to canines, giving him the ability to simulate a "dog whistle". Massive lung-filled drags can shatter glass on skyscrapers, and knock objects weighing close to a ton down. And finally, his rythmic droning emition, his "didjeridoo", can calm frenzied crowds without harming them. Aside from his main ability, Whistle Man posses the strength/feats of a thirty-something football player. A favorite "play" of his, is called the "Scream n' Tackle" where he stuns his opponent and then ransacks them to the ground. Weakness Because Whistle Man cannot hold his breath without the aid of a rebreather, he is very susceptable to drowning. Trivia * When Derek first created Whistle Man he resembled the version very much that you see today, except that his head was a red cylinder with triangle eyes and he sported a large 'W' on his chest instead of his usual symbol. *During the early 90's, Derek drew several stories involving Whistle Man. It was then that he changed the cylindrical head to the more expressive gold whistle. He also changed the character's trademark red tights in for a steel blue suit, with white billowing cape, boots and gloves, to make him appear more heroic. *Despite his heroic appearance, Derek characterized Whistle Man as an arrogant, womanizing jerk, who only seeked fame and glory. He was also obssessed with Maria Cherry, a Mariah Carey spoof, who could hit a high octive that could rival his highest whistle. *Because of his deviant nature, he was often paired with a side kick named "Air-Head", a ditzy teeny-bopper who could mentally create bubbles to trap foes in. Her innocence often calmed his selfish tirades. *Whistle Man's enemies included villains "The Balloonster", "The Burgler", and "Gregos". the latter two were reworked into "Diamond X" and to some degree, the pre existing "Steakston". External Links Whistle Man's Facbook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Whistle-Man/201278043254503